Pass up the salt

No surprises, but we, as a population, eat far too much salt. On the average, each of us downs about 7 kilos of it a year.



It’s easy to identify the salt in some of our favourite foods such as potato chips, snack foods, salted nuts, hot chips, etc. But did you also know that there is an abundance of salt lurking in plenty of other foods as well like tinned soups and packaged foods?



More than half of the salt we eat comes from processed foods but you need to watch out for natural foods as well. Items like cottage cheese are high in sodium, as is beetroot, celery and turnips. Even our drinking water has sodium.

With high blood pressure being a common health concern for many, how can you minimise the amount of salt you take into your diet? Try these hints:



Cook without salt. If people want to add it to foods at the table they can, but it’s impossible to take it out once it’s in.

Taste before you salt. Too many of us automatically pick up the salt shaker and add it to our food with a good dousing without even tasting if it’s needed.



Check the labels of medications. Some medications contain an alarmingly high level of sodium. Antacids are notorious offenders. If you’re watching your sodium intake, ask your doctor which medications are lower in sodium.

Watch out for processed foods. Salt is a preservative so most processed foods contain more salt than they should. Opt for ‘low sodium’ foods or buy frozen vegetables over tinned. If you use tinned produce, rinse it and cook it in fresh water. Use unsalted butter or margarine and choose cheese that is low sodium.



Try seasoning with herbs and spices. Raid your spice cupboard and see what you can find. Lemon juice is also a delicious substitute that adds plenty of flavour. Or try a sprinkle of white pepper, garlic powder or dry mustard for added taste.

Categories
#nutrition
#health_warnings



%healthyhints